Lens grinding machine



H, 14. .1, J. M0CABE I LENS GRiNDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1O, 1931 11 Sheets-Sheet l JOSEPH J. McCAB E INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dace H, 1934.. J. J. M cABE v 1,984,074

' LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1931 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Q u.

ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 10, 19:51 11 Sheets-Sheet z JOSEPH J. McCABE INVENTOR ATTORNEY LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheet 4 m in .F'IGA JOSEPH J. MCCABE INVENTOR I 7 BY 01/... 4

ATTORNEY ecu Mi, 19340 J, J, McCABE 1,984,074-

LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1931 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOSEPH J. McCABE INVENTOR BY ,n

ATTORNEY M a M t r 4 w 3 8 w 8 A ow Hr C H 6 T O h S E in n W A HI P E Y S B O Y J .4

E B A C O M IJ. .I

LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept 10, 1951 8 m in Dw L 1934, J. J. McCABE 1,9,074

LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1931 ll Sheets-Sheet 7 JOSE PH J. McCABE INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1934. J. J. M CA BE LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10; 1931. 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 m: UE

00 0 mm hh JOSEPH J McCABE INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1934. J. .1. M CABE 1,984,074

I LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1931 11 Sheets-Sheet l0 PH J. McCA-BE' INVENTOR BY .M M

cu ATTORNEY Dec. 11, 1934. J. J. MQCABE 1,984,074

LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1951 11 Sheet-Sheet 11 JOSEPH J. McCABE HNVENTOR BY [MM ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11; 1934 v t I 1.98:1,074

UNITED! STATES PATENT OFFICE LENS GRINDING MACHINE Joseph J. McCabe, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Banach 8v Lomb Optical Company, Rochester,

N. Y a corporation of New York Application September 10, 1931, Serial No. 562,018 9 cla ms. (01. 51-124) This invention relates to lens grinding machinhe method of supplying a cooling fluid t h cry and more particularly it has reference to a eding tool. machine for producing spherical and toric sur- Similar reference characters. refer to similar faces on a lens. 1 parts throughout .the several views of the draw- 5 One of the objects of my invention is to provide n s- 5 an improved device which can be edficiently and Orieembodiment of my invention is disclosed conveniently used for producing a toric or' a in the drawings wherein 20 indicates a hollow spherical surface on alens- Another object/is to base having the three ups Columns provide a machine of the type described which 22 and 23 which supp r a frame Rota-tam? can be efliciently used and set up with a minimum mounted in a bearing 25 on base 201s the shaft 10 amount of adjustmentfor grinding a toric surface 26 carry ng a p ll y which i adapted to be on either the concave or convex side of a lens. A riv n y a l connected t a suitable m r. further object is to provide, in a machine oithe As shown in Figs. 1 1,2 and 1 ,;P is transtype described, improved means for holding mitted from shaft 26 by means of worm 28, worm l5 and locating a lens which.is to be operated upon. wheel 29, shaft 30, bevel gears .31 and 32, shaft A still further'obiect is to provide an efllcient. 33, worm 34, and worm wheel 35 to shaft 36 which means for pp y 8. cooling fluid to the abradis connected to shaft 37 by means of a clutch deing or cutting member of a machine of the charvice 38 so that'powe c n be Selectively transacter described. To these and other ends, the inmitted to shaft 37. The; shaft 3'7 is rotatably vention residesincertain features and advantages m t d in a ea m m e 3 and ca ies a 2 of construction, arrangement and combination of gea w eel 40. he lutc 38 may be thrown" in parts as will hereinafter be described, the novel or out of cooperative relation by means of the 7 features being pointed out in -the. appended yoke 41 pivotally connected to shaft 42 by arm 43.

claims. I Integral with casing 20 is a track 44 .on which Referring to the drawings: is slidably mounted the base slide 45 having an 25 Fig. 1 is a front elevation. of my improved lens arcuate track 46. The base slide 45 can be moved grinding machine. back and forth longitudinally of the base by Fig. 2 is an end elevation as seen from th left means of a rotatable screw 47 which cooperates of Fig. 1. with a threaded lug 48 integral with the base Fig. 3 is a top plan view. V slide. The screw 4'7 carries a worm wheel 49 co- 30 P18. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing Operating with a worm 50 on shaft 51 which car'- the slides, lens chuck and cutting tool in position ries a hand wheel 52 so that the base slide 45 may to produce a concave surface on a'lens blank. be moved by tu ni d W e 5 3 S wn in Fig. 5 is an end view as seen from the left of Figs- 1 d The b Slide 45 has 3 Fig.4 opening 53 which is positioned above an opening Fig. 6 is a sectionalview taken on line 6- -6 of 54 in base 20 and track 44 for a purpose to be Fla. 4. hereinafter described. The base slide 45 may be 1 I Fig. 7 is a view taken substantially on line 7-7 locked in adjusted po iti n on W 44 y means of Fig. 4. of a set screw 55. Mounted on the .base slide 45 Fig, 8 i vi take on li H of. Fig 4, i are the two index plates 56 and'56' which cooper- 4o Fig 9 13' top plan View showing the position ate with a scale 57 on base 20 for a purpose'which of the parts when producing a.- convex surface. will heremafler be fiescnbed- Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view through the 10 there 18 shown sfecured to slide a base showing parts of the slides and the powermvot pm'ss about wmih swmg'snde 59 i- 45 transmitting means. ed to turn with a lower face 60 of the swing slide 45 Fig. 11 is a view ofa detail ts s i e agglilsate m s (16.61 Mggilgy a moune onmem er across e ca g 12 is a sectional View sumlar to 10 but a rack 62 whichcooperates with gear wheel 40,

- substantially at a right angle thereto.

. as shown in Figs. 10 and 12. Rotatably mounted 13 is a detail w of the mealfs for on cross slide 61 is a vertical drive pin 63 on the 50 m3 a smppmg the upper end of which is carried a shoe 64 adapted Fig. 14 isa top plan view of the base and base. t slidably engage a groove 65 formed on the Slide, with parts l'emoved- I under side of swing slide 59. Hence, as power is Fic. 15 is a as ta y v ew. partly in secti n, applied to shaft 37 the slide 61 and shoe 84 are showing the means for supporting the motor and moved and swing slide 59 is swung about the pivot swing slide 59 moves towards the rear of the machine or away from the observer as seen in Fig. 1.

When the slide 61 has reached the end of its excursion, the clutch 38 is disengaged and the swing slide is moved back to a, starting position by-hand. The operating pin 63' projects upwardly through .openings 53 and 54 so that the slide 61 can always be moved, irrespective of the position of the base slide 45.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 12, the swing shde 59 carries a track 66 on which is movably mounted a top slide 67 adapted to be moved back and forth on track 66 by means of the rotatable screw 68 which cooperates with a threaded portion 69 on slide 67. The screw 68 carries an operating handle 70 and the slide 67 carries an index plate 71 which cooperates with a scale 72 on the swing slide 59 for a purposewhichwill hereinafterbe described. The top slide 67 may be locked in adjusted position by means of a clamping screw 73.

Movably mounted on the top slide 67 is a head slide 74 which carries the. lens holding means which will hereinafter be described and which is shown and claimed in United States Patent No. 1,952,212, dated March 27, 1934. Slidably and rotatably mounted in slide 74 is a shaft 75 carrying a pinion76 which cooperates with a rack '27 secured to the top of slide 67.v ,Shaft 75 also carries another pinion 78 which is adapted to be selectively moved into cooperation with a worm '79 carried by shaft 80 which is rotatably mounted within the two tubes 81 and81; which are fixed to a member $2 secured toheadslide 74 as shown in Figs. 7

and 8. Shaft 75. carries a knob 83 while shaft 80 carries a knob .84. From the foregoing it will be i apparent that by pulling out the shaft 75 the pin-j ion 78 will be disengaged from the worm '19 but inwardly so that the pinion 78 engages worm 79 and fine adjustment, of the head slide 74 can then be secured by turning knob 84.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, there is secured to slide 74 a support 85 carrying acylindrical member as within which is rotatably mounted;a bushing 87 having a threaded portion 88 adapted to engage a threaded portion on the lens block '89 to which a lens blank L is cemented. The lens block has a locating pin 90 adapted to selectivelycooperate with either of the openings 91 or 91' in the member "86, as will be hereinafter described. Slidably'mountedpn the rigidly helds tubes-81 and 81' is a'brac'set 92 h'avingan upwardly projecting arm 93-which is secured by a pin 94 to a rod 95 which is slidably mounted in bearings 96 and 96" formed integral with member 86. Slidably mounted within the bushing 871s the locating pin 97 which is fixedly to one end of link 98. -In'the other end of link 98 a screw 99.

held in place by collars-100 -and 100', is rotatably 'mourited; The end of the screw isadapted to selectively engage either threaded end of rod 95. When the screw 99 is threaded into rod 95 and 7 the locating pin 971s moved into contact with the rear surface of lens JalankL, the rod 95 slides in its bearings and the attached bracket 92' slides cured to slide 6'], as shown in Fig.1. The rod 95 is locked in adjusted position by set screw 103 and after the index plate 101 has thus been adjusted and locked, the slide 74 and the entire mechanism carried thereby are adjusted by turning knobs 83 and 84 and locked in adjusted position by set screw 104. l I

Referringnow to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 15, there is I shown a motor M having a casing 105 within which is rotatably mounted, on the shaft of motor M, the abrading or cutting wheel 106,which is a conical cup wheel having an .arcuate operating 10 surface 107 which contacts with the lens blank L during operation; Themotor M is suspended from an arm 108- which is'formed integral with a central casting 109 which is adjustably mounted to turn on the ball. bearings 110 carried by boss 15 111 formed integral with upper frame 24. A53 the casting 109 turns, the arm 108 and the motor M move with it, the arm moving in an arcuate path with the surface 112 riding on a track 113 formed on frame 24. Secured to the casting 109 20 is the-worm, wheel 114 which cooperates with a worm 115 connected by bevel gearsf116 to a shaft 117 carrying a hand wheel 118. A circular scale 119 turns with the casting 199 and cooperates with an index plate 120 fixedly secured to the top 25 frame 24. By turning the hand wheel 118 the motor M and cutting wheel 106 may be angularly adjusted about a vertical axis which passes through the center of curvature of the arcuate surface 107 of the abrading wheel 106 and the an- 30 Fixedly mounted within central bores in cast- 35 ing 109 and boss 111 is a tube 123'. which iscon- Y nected to a pipe 124 which conducts a stream of cooiing liquid from a pump, not shown Fixedly secured to casing 105 is a bushing 125' which 'is rotatably mounted in the lower end of tube 123'. 40

A suitable packing gland 126 aflords a liquid tight connection. Connected to bushing 125 is a pipe 127 which is arranged so as to direct the liquid onto the operating surface of wheel 106. A suitable supply of liquid is thus directed onto wheel 45 106 irrespective of its angulanposition; A conduit 12a, moving with the, motor M, carries suit? supplying electric current-to the wherein there is shown 'a starting crank- 129 I mounted on shaft 42. Tixedly se ured to shaft 42 is a llnk 130 carrying'a clutch'finger 131 adapted to cooperate with a clutch finger 132- mounted on 55 lever 133 fixed to a-shaft 134 which is'pivotally carried by a bearing 135 secured to the front of base 20'. Also fixed to shaft 135 is a link 136 having aforwardly proiecting handle 13.7. A coil spring 138'has oneof' itsends secured to pin 139 no on base 20 while the other end a secured to a pin 140 carried by link 130 so that the spring tends I to move shaft 42 int. counter blockwise direction. Another coil spring 141 connected to base 20 tends to hold the link 136 back against the base. Con- 05 nected by a pivoted link 142 to shaft 421s a 'slid-. ably mounted belt shifter 143 which can be selectively operated to shift a belt from the tight pulley 27 to the loose pulley 144,01- vice versa. Fixedly secured to slide 61 is arod145 which pro- 70" jects forwardly through an 09 8 in and carries a contact pin 146. when the 129 and link 130 are in the position shown inFig. 1, the machine is set tosoperate and the clutch "nh ers sl and 132 are m the'position shown in 7 1 ,ee'4,o74

'tact with the abrading tool 100 and the general Fig. 13.. The slide .81 moves rearwardly until, at the end of the stroke, the contact pin 146 strikes a stop 147 on lever 133whereupon the latter moves backward, the clutch fingers are dis- 5 engaged, the shaft 42 moves counter-clockwise,

the clutch 38' is disengaged and the belt is shifted to the loose pulley 144. If it-is desired to suddenly stop the machine in an emergency, it is only necessary for the operator to pull the handle 137 towards himself, thereby moving lever 133 backwards to disengage the clutch fingers and stop the machine as hereinbefore recited. When the clutch 38 is disengaged the belt shifter moves the belt from the tight-pulley 27 to the loose pulley 144. I

The general operation of the machine is similar to that of the toric generatordescribed in United States Patent No. 1,901,181 issued on March14, 1933. In operating the device of the instant application for generating. a concave toric surface, the base slide 45 is adjusted so that'the index 56' indicates on scale 57 the dioptric curvature desired for one meridian of thelens surface. The

base slide 45 is then locked in position and the top;

slide 67 is adjusted so that the index 71 indicates on scale 72 the same dioptric curvature, after which slide 67 is locked in position. The cross curve of the toric surface, which is in the other major meridian, is then set by adjusting the angular position of the motor M and tool 106 by means of wheel 118 so that the desired curvature is indicated on the scale 119 and the motor M and tool are locked in position by means of screw 123.

I, The lens block-89 carrying a suitably mounted lens blank L is then secured in position by tightening threaded bushing 87.- Set screw 103 is loos- .ene'd, the locating pin 97 is moved into contact. with the rear surface of lens blank L and set screw 103 is tightened." The slide 74 is then ad-- justably positioned by means of knobs 83 and 84 so that index 101 indicates onscale 102 the desired center thickness of -the finished lens, after which slide 74 is locked in position. Since the clutch 38 is disconnected, the swing slide 59 and the'super-structure carried, thereby are moved forwardly, by hand, along the track .48.- The starting lever 129 is then moved clockwise to engage the clutch 38, shift the belt to pulley 27 and so render the machine operative. The swing slide 59 is thus gradually moved rearwardly along the arcuate track 46 and so carries the lens blank L in an arcuate path and into contact with the abrading wheel 106. When the swing slide 59' reaches the end of its rearward excursion, the contact pin 146 strikes the stop 147 on lever 133 V which releases the clutch fingers 131 and 132 so that clutch 38 is disengaged and the belt-is shifted to pulley 144, thereby stopping the operation of the machine.

When it is desired to produce a convex toric surface, a somewhat similar piiocedure is followi. In making the settings for a" convex surface, the

' index 56 is used in conjunction with scale 57 and the motor M and wheel 106 are turned so that the index 120 cooperates with'another dioptric scale, not shown, opposite scale 119. The thread- 1 ed bushing 87, the pin 97 and the rod 99 are positioned at the other'end of tubular member 86 so that the lens blank and parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 9. The pin 90 on the lens block 89 then cooperates with the opening 91' in member 86 and index 101 cooperates with scale 102' to indicate the thickness of the finished lens. The lens blank is carried in an arcuate path into conoperation of the machine is the same as when generating a concave toric surface.

The lens blank L can be accurately and quickly cemented to the lens block 89 by the use of the' lens blocking stand disclosed in my co-pending' application Serial No. 556,147 flied August 10,

1931. By the use of this blocking stand it is pos-' sible to properly block a lens so that the cylinder axis, optical center, amount of prism and base of prism can be positioned and controlled accurately.

The .cutting or abrading wh l 106 may be formed of any suitable substance though 1 preierto make the wheel of copper and embed diamonds in the working surface. During the cutting or abrading operation the wheel 106 is supplied with any suitable cooling fluid and the entire machine is preferably enclosed within a cabinet so that the cooling fluid doesnot spatter on the operator and around the shop. By setting the machine so that the curvatures are the same in the twomeridians, a spherical surface can be formed on the lensl The terms cutting, abrading, surfacing and grinding, as used in the specification and claims, refer, in general, to any method for removing glass from the lens blank.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I am able to attain the objects of mydnvention and provide a machine of the type described which can be conveniently and quickly adjusted slide having an arcuate track, a swing slide pivotally mounted on said base slide and adapted to move along said arcuate track, lens holding devices carried by said swing slide and means for moving said swing slide, said means comprising a shoe which slidably engages a groove on'said swing slide. I

- 2. A machine of the type described having in combination a base, a base slide movably mounted on said base, a swing slide movably mounted to turn about a pivot pin secured to said base slide, said swing slide having a groove radially positioned with respect to said pivot pin, and

means for moving said swing slide, said means comprising a/driven cross slide carrying a shoe which slidably engages said groove:

3. A lens surfacing machine having in combination an abrading tool, a slide, a tubular member carried by said slide, means for detachably securing a lensblock to said member, a pin slidably mounted within said member and adapts ed to contact with the surface of a lens carried by. said block, a rod fixedly connected to said pin, said rod being slidably mounted on said tubular member, a bracket flxedito said rod, scale means carried by said bracket and means for movingsaidslide to bring a lens onsaid block into contact with said abrading tool.

4. Alens grinding machine comprising ah annular abrading tool mounted for rotation on a horizontal shaft, said tool being adjustably mounted to turn about a vertical axis to selectively position the shaft of the tool on opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through said axis, means for selectively holding a lens blank means for moving saidlens blank in an arcuate path into,contact with said abrading tool,

5. A lens grinding machine comprising a rotatable, conical abrading-tool having an arcuate abrading surface at its base, said tool being adjustably mounted to turn about a vertical axis passing through the center of curvature of said arcuate surface to selectively position the apex of said tool on oppositesides of a vertical plane about an axis, said .tool having an arcuatc abrading surface whose center of curvature is at said axis, the limit of angular movement of said tool being substantially 180 degrees, a device for holding a lens blank and means for moving said blank into contact with said tool along an arcu- I ate path, said device having means for selectively holding a'blank on either side of a plane passing'through said axis for selectively producing either a concave or-convex surface on said lens blank,

mounted on said frame for adjustment about a.

7. A machine of the character having ingcombination' a frame, an abrading tool :being fixed to said casing vertical axis, a-casing surrounding said tool and movable therewith, and means for conducting afluid to said tool, said means comprising a .flxed conduit and a rotatable bushing, said bushing axis.

8. In a machine of the type described, the

and concentric to said combination of a base, a base slide movably mounted on said base, a swing slide mounted to turn on a,pivot on said base slide, a top slide slidemovably mounted on said top slide, the paths of motion of said topslide andhead slide being substantially parallel, and lens. holding means carried by said head slide, the central, vertical plane of said lens holding means being radially, located with respect to the axisof said pivot.'-

- 9. A lens grinding machine comprising a tool having an abrading surface which is substantially toroidal in form, means for rotating said tool about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said tool about a vertical axis to selectively position said surface on opposite sides -of a vertical plane passing through said vertical axis, means for selectively holding a lens blank on opposite sides of said verticalplane and means for moving said blank in an arcuate path int contactwith said abrading surface,

it Jos'sami. moans. 

